3-17-16 Education in the NewsNJ Spotlight: Testing Drinking Water for Lead Levels in All NJ Public Schools Is Goal of Bill…Legislation, sponsored by three Democratic leaders, would also require full public disclosure of all test results ‘Likely on the fast track of the Democratic leadership, a bill filed this week to require all New Jersey schools to test for lead in their drinking water would also mandate full public disclosure of the results. The bill, sponsored by Senate President Steve Sweeney and two top legislators from Newark, includes an unprecedented requirement for schools to immediately test for lead. The measure is in response to revelations last week that 30 Newark public schools had found elevated levels of lead in their drinking water, forcing them to shut off fountains and provide alternative sources…’

NJ Spotlight--Wide Array of Concerns Aired at State Budget Hearing in South Jersey…Legislators hear about issues of particular interest to residents of southern part of the state ‘Many counties in South Jersey have unemployment rates that are higher than the state’s overall average. ‘The region is also home to two of New Jersey’s neediest cities, Camden and Atlantic City…In order to learn more about how “the other half” lives, members of the state Assembly Budget Committee went down to South Jersey yesterday to hear firsthand about the issues important to that region…’

NJ Spotlight: Testing Drinking Water for Lead Levels in All NJ Public Schools Is Goal of Bill

Legislation, sponsored by three Democratic leaders, would also require full public disclosure of all test results

Likely on the fast track of the Democratic leadership, a bill filed this week to require all New Jersey schools to test for lead in their drinking water would also mandate full public disclosure of the results.

The bill, sponsored by Senate President Steve Sweeney and two top legislators from Newark, includes an unprecedented requirement for schools to immediately test for lead. The measure is in response to revelations last week that 30 Newark public schools had found elevated levels of lead in their drinking water, forcing them to shut off fountains and provide alternative sources.

NJ Spotlight--Wide Array of Concerns Aired at State Budget Hearing in South Jersey

Legislators hear about issues of particular interest to residents of southern part of the state

Many counties in South Jersey have unemployment rates that are higher than the state’s overall average. The region is also home to two of New Jersey’s neediest cities, Camden and Atlantic City.

But it also has large rural areas and a good portion of the Garden State’s farming community. That means the concerns of South Jersey residents tend to be a bit different than those of their neighbors in the north, where there are larger cities, bigger companies, and a heavy emphasis on commute times into New York.

In order to learn more about how “the other half” lives, members of the state Assembly Budget Committee went down to South Jersey yesterday to hear firsthand about the issues important to that region.